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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23309896">Web of Deceit</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Article 15 (2019), Raazi (2018), Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (2020), War (2019)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bollywood, F/F, M/M, Spies &amp; Secret Agents, Terrorism, War</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 14:22:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,695</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23309896</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When a politician gets assassinated, three forces have to come together when an existing chase becomes even more complex. Ayan and Iqbal have to deal with one another and the enemy? But is everyone on their side trustworthy too? How will these two navigate treacherous waters, without drowning themselves?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ayan Ranjan/Iqbal Syed, Devika/Kusum, Kabir/Khalid Rahmani, Kartik Singh/Aman Tripathi, khalid/kabir</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Web of Deceit</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This ambitious crossover came into existence when I was sort of looking for a Vicky Kaushal character that I could add to one of my fics. @dhyanshiva suggested Iqbal (Raazi). We had a long brainstorming session and then boom, we came up with the plot- a professional collaboration between Ayan and Iqbal. I watched War (2019) a few days ago and decided there's no way I could let go of this chance of adding them to the fic. So, here we go! The plot is now really different from the original plan but we felt like this one would be more fun to write.</p><p> </p><p>                    -Marine ( @karmanslovechild )</p><p> </p><p>Please check the link provided below for the character visuals</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <a href="https://twitter.com/perayass/status/1242720659727253504?s=19">https://twitter.com/perayass/status/1242720659727253504?s=19</a>
</p><p> </p><p>The man had been shot in the dark of the night. Ayan put on a pair of gloves and ducked under the tape. It had only been a few minutes since the attack and personnel were always at hand. Ayan had gotten there quickly but the damage had been done, in spite of the security measures in place. The lawn was well mowed, even. There were no disturbances so far from the body. A seating area was only a metre away - perhaps the man was making his way there when he was gunned down? Looking up, Ayan noticed that this particular space wasn't visible from the house, at any angle. There were no windows, no doors leading or looking over here. The grounds were vast too, making it easier for the assassination to take place without anyone else nearby.</p><p>Just past the tape put in place, there was a tray laying upside, a china set in pieces, the turmeric milk staining the blades of grass. The attendant had come in at the designated time with the bottle of his daily nocturnal medication and seen the body at that distance. Her shock resulted in this, messy though it was - it was useful for forensics, Ayan supposed. Having done a brief survey of the area, he shifted his attention back to the focal point of the matter.</p><p>The man's limbs were spread out, back against the ground. He'd been shot in the chest, point blank and with great accuracy. There was blood pooling out, still, staining his kurta. It was over the torso that the blood flowed onto the lawn. The bullet hadn't exited the body - it was still lodged in there. Crouching, Ayan took a closer look at the wound. It was a neat ring, small but resulting in tremendous blood loss. The impact of the injury had been immediate and drastic.</p><p>Shifting his gaze upwards, Ayan studied the politician's facial expression - the final one is often the most telling. In the field of politics, one often has a mask in place, even at home. There likely wouldn't have been a noticeable change observed, in the man's demeanour. Any secrets would be out in the open in a situation like this - where control had been taken out of his hands. His eyes were wide open - fear? Shifting his gaze to the side, Ayan saw that the hair at his temples looked slightly damp. A quick glance at his watch told Ayan it was too early for it to be due to the merciless glare of the sun. Was it perspiration for an entirely human reason - fear?</p><p>Deciding that it was enough, Ayan rose, gesturing for the body to be sealed up and sent to forensics. Walking away and out of the cordoned off area, he called his second in command. Ayan knew the matter was going to blow up immediately, they had to work fast.<br/>
" I need ANY preliminary findings to be given to me in the next 24 hours. I need to present this to the government officials, I'm sure. There's absolutely no time to slack. Understood?"</p><p>Looking back once more, Ayan scanned the premisis once more, his gaze catching onto a young woman's - the daughter, if he remembered correctly. There was something to be noted in the way she was observing him. Ayan filed that thought away for later.</p><p>He tugs off his gloves as he begins surveying those present at the mansion about their whereabouts while the murder was being orchestrated. The culprit had definitely been spying on the house and its inhabitants very very closely, since he picked the perfect time to carry out the deed with the chances of a mishap being very low.</p><p>In the late hours of the afternoon, while the assassin's weapon drilled the politician's body with the bullet shots, his daughter had been sleeping and the servants were away carrying out their respective chores of buying groceries, washing the car in the lot, and other such menial tasks. This provided the the murderer enough time to break into the lawn, do his deed and slip back out without breaking a sweat.</p><p>The person may have been sharp and quick enough to have gotten inside without getting caught and leave unnoticed, but like every sly thief errs, this assasin too, left behind a tiny clue- the bullets, a rare kind that aren't readily available in the market yet. While observing the forensic experts dislodge the bullets from the body, without having to wait for its ballistic report, Ayan's sharp eyes spot the similarities between the bullets and the missing ammunitions. The forensic lead, too, believes in the theory, but of course he will have to inspect it and create a report either way just to be sure.</p><p>Ayan deduces that this assassination is somehow linked to this AMMO ring that has kept him on his toes for the past few weeks. The cross-border racket- an intricate web of suppliers, exporters and deceitfully sharp members of a smuggling mafia is a case that he has been trying to crack with all his might. The resources are quite limited and so is the time.</p><p>Not many leads had been unearthed from the case so far, despite the amount of time that perspired ever since the first speculation of the ammunitions being smuggled first started. This fact is quite worrying but Ayan decides not to dwell much on it. He knows that chains of such a kind are usually very complex and the leader is probably one cracked nutcase on the verge of entering the realm of insanity who has decided to channel his intellectual capacity into all of these unethical deeds for kicks. As the case kept getting more complex, Ayan swore not to catch a breath until and unless his itchy hands catch hold of the goons.</p><p>With the occurence of this latest event, Ayan's theory of this whole racket being more than meets the eye, begins to feel a lot more palpatable. He knows that the bigger picture is something way more explosive than just a few ammunitions.</p><p>He calls out to the others to get back to the station. It was time to prepare for the inevitable. As he looks for his car keys in his jacket's pocket, his phone buzzes in his pants' pocket. He isn't given a chance to greet the person as- "Get to the official headquarters right away," his superintendent's voice interrupts his speech. His boss doesn't usually contact him unless very necessary, which is a clear sign that this case has definitely gotten more complex and the higher ups need to talk to him. Ayan instructs his team to return without him as he goes his way.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>"Ha bubba, I'll reach on time. Don't worry," Aman mutters against the mobile phone's mouth piece. "I love you, bye." He disconnects the call and awkwardly smiles at the tall man with a moustache seated beside him. The man awkwardly returns the gesture and busies himself with his phone. Seated behind them, Kabir and Khalid go through the leads and summary detailed in the file handed over to them by the government official's assistant. Kabir has his arm resting against the Khalid's seat's backrest and Khalid tries his hardest to not let the proximity bother him. He closes his eyes and breathes deeply.</p><p>Kusum seated beside them ignores the presence of everyone in the room as blankly stares out the window with her arms folded. She doesn't notice the lady situated in front of her until she feels a palm swaying in her line of vision. "Do you have a pen I could borrow?" Kusum nods and hands a ballpoint pen to the pretty stranger. "Thanks! I'll return it to you in a bit," the woman replies promptly before scribbling doen a few things on the writing pad before her.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>As soon as Mr Agnihotri, the government official in charge of the cross-border affairs returns to his cabin where Iqbal, his partner Devika and the rest are huddled up, he sips on the tea waiting for him on his desk. His fingers lightly drum against the desk as he sips on it further.</p><p>"Iqbal," he starts, eyeing Iqbal, "Kabir," he says while pointedly staring at the tan man situated behind Iqbal. "Have you two and your team finished going over the details of the case yet?" he inquires. "Yes, sir!" they chant in harmony. Mr Agnihotri nods in understanding. He motions his assistant over. "Akash, why's Ayan not here yet?" The assistant hands over the empty teacup to the office help and turns to the official again. "Sir, he's on his way. He had to go investigate the crime scene where CM Khatri had been assassinated," he informs.</p><p>Just as Akash finishes his explanation, Ayan steps foot into the office. He takes off the shades laying against the bridge of his nose and dignantly nods at the government official. "Have a seat Ayan," Mr Agnihotri says while motioning him to seat himself down at the empty chair beside Iqbal. Ayan follows his instruction.</p><p>"So Ayan, as you already know about the smuggling of certain arms and ammunitions recently. With all of the recent events, the water has now broken past the dam. Iqbal, the chief of the Army regiment at Amritsar and Kabir, the leader of the best team of elite RAW agents, here, along with their partners have done their seperate researches," Mr Agnihotri explains to an attentive Ayan. He then turns to the rest of them. "All the previous terrorist attacks and organisations, no matter how distinct from one another, seem to follow a specific pattern- which is also evident in this case. Therefore, the defence minister and I have decided to form a special unit with only the best from all of the nation's forces to crack this case and spread our investigative web further. But remember, two weeks of crunch time is all you have, please make the most of it."</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>And so, the wild goose chase to stop any attempts made to threaten nation security begins as the race against time ensues.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Kartik and Rajni will appear in the latter chapters.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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